Corrective exercising apparatus



p 20, 1955 E. BARKSCHAT CORRECTIVE EXERCISING APPARATUS Filed June 17,1953 2,718,398 CORRECTIVE EXERCISING APPARATUS Eric Barkschat, Chicago,Ill. Application June 17, 1953, Serial No. 362,188 9 Claims. (Cl.272-83) The condition of many people suffering from ailments thatdisable them to .a greater or lesser extent can be improved throughcorrective exercises.

The object of this invention is to provide an exercising apparatus withwhich the user may effectively perform coordination and enduranceexercises for the muscles of the upper extremities, the shoulder, chest,back, abdominal and hip muscles and to a great extent for the muscles ofthe lower extremities and also to lirnber up wrist, elbow, and shoulderjoints, the joints of the lower extremities as well as to limber up astifli back.

A further object of the invention is to produce the aforesaid apparatusin such a form that it requires only a few small, simple and inexpensiveparts; the whole occupying so little space that the user may easily takethem along if he is to be away from his home or other place where benormally uses them, and being easily installed wherever the apparatus isto be used.

In its preferred form, my improved exerciser consists of a littlebracket adapted to be attached to a wall or other stationary, verticalmember, together with a pair of handled springs which are adapted to behooked onto the bracket in a variety of ways to anchor them at one end;the handles being gripped and manipulated by the user to stress thesprings during the performance of prescribed exercises.

The various features of novelty whereby the present invention ischaracterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in theclaims, but, for a full understanding of the invention and of itsobjects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detaileddescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the wall bracket member of my newapparatu Fig. 2 is a front view of the bracket, with a pair ofmanually-operable spring devices mounted on the bracket in positionsadapted for carrying out certain of the series of possible exercises;and

Fig. 3 is an edge view of one of the spring devices,

Referring to the drawing, A represents a bracket and B, B are twomanually operable spring devices adapted to be interlocked with thebracket in various ways.

The bracket comprises a base member adapted to be fastened to a wall orthe like, together with a plurality of bars mounted thereon. In theparticular arrangement shown, the bracket is composed of three pieces ofheavy, flat strip material. The first of these pieces is a U-shaped partof which arm 1 forms part of the base, while arm 2, well in front of andshorter than arm 1, is supported by the cross element 3 of the U. Anangle member formed of wings 4 and 5, underlies element 3; wing 5 lyingflat against and being welded to element 3, whereas wing 4 is in thesame plane as element 1 of the U and, with it, forms the base. Two holes6, 6 in the base are adapted to receive screws to fasten the bracket toa wall or other support. Standing on edge upon element 3, just behindand in contact with and welded to element 2 is a United States Patent 02,718,398 Patented Sept. 20, 1955 "ice cross bar 7. Short end sect'ons8, 8 of the cross bar are bent back at right angles. The bracket issymmetrical with respect to a central, vertical plane extending fromfront to rear.

Each spring device comprises a strong spiral spring 9 formed of flatstrip material, flat-wound and having only a few turns so as to leavethe center of the spiral open. The inner end of the spring terminates ina long straight section 10 that parallels but is spaced apart from adiam eter of the spring; section 10 extending in both directions from aplane at right angles to such diameter and intersecting the center ofthe spring. The free end of section 10 is bent back upon itself tocreate a deep hook 11 adapted to fit over either .of the long edges ofelements 2, 7 and 8. The outer end 12 of each spring extendstangentially and terminates in a laterally-bent piece 13 that isintersected by and stands at right angles to the plane in which straightsection 10 at the inner end of the spring lies. Thus the dimension ofthe spring at right angles to a plane containing a diameter of thespring, is no greater than the width of the strip material from whichthe spring is made; or, in other words, the spring is of the clockspring type.

A grip or handle 14, that need be no longer than the width of a hand, isfastened at one end to piece '13 at the extreme outer end of the spring,with the axis there of near and parallel to the plane of the straightinner section 10 of the spring.

In the use of a spring device it is slipped lengthwise of and onto anyone of the bars 2, 7 and 8, with its hook interlocked with either longedge of such bar. Thus the spring becomes anchored to the selected baragainst bodily rotation thereon. Therefore, if the handle is pushed orpulled in the plane of the spring, the spring is stressed. The handlemay be swung through an angle of more than in the direction to tightenthe spiral; the resistance increasing progressively and rapidlythroughout the entire range of this swinging movement.

While the siZe of the various parts may vary, I have found that thespring need not be over three inches in diameter and contain only abouttwo and one half com plete turns, when the stock from which it is made'mflasrures one sixteenth inch by one inch in cross section; the entiredevice, including the handle, being less than eight inches long. Springtensions adapted to the needs and strength of a user may be madeavailable through varying the gauge and width of the stock used in thesprings.

In Fig. 2 the apparatus is shown ready for two hand operation by aperson standing in front of the same, the right hand handle to be swungin the clockwise direction while the other handle movescounterclockwise. Either spring device, alone, may be used. Also thespring devices may be applied to the bracket with the handles pointingdown.

Similarly, either or both spring devices may be appjliec to either edgeof bar 7 and one of the devices may be applied to either vertical edgeof upright bar 2.

The variety of exercises that may be carried out wit! my apparatus isalmost endless, but a few will be ex plained.

It will be noted that with the parts assembled as i Fig. 2, the usereither pushes or pulls the handles. 1 the start the direction of push orpull is outward and dOWl ward. Then, after the handles swing down pastthe hot zontal, the push or pull is inward. These movements r quirecooperation of a variety of muscles of the upper e tremities, shoulders,chest and back and, by attempting carry out these movements, the user isdeveloping coor nation of these muscles with each other. This exerci maybe performed in a sitting or standing position and/ may be performed instanding position in combinati exercises for coordination and endurance.

Only one spring device may be used and the user may bracket, exerciser.Since the user has to take a firm foot hold on the ground to prevent thefeet from sliding, many various muscle groups in the lower extremities,the body, such as abdominal, back, waist, hip, and shoulder muscles aswell as the muscles of the upper extremity, will be activated andbeneficially exercised.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a singlepreferred form of my invention, I do not 'desire to be limited to theexact details thus illustrated and described, but intend to cover allforms and arrangements that come within the definition of my inventionconstituting the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A corrective exercising apparatus comprising a stationary supportingmember, a spiral spring of the clock spring type adapted to surroundsaid member, a handle attached to and carried by the outer end of thespring, means on the inner end of the spring constructed to interlockwith said supporting member and anchor the inner end of the spring whilethe handle is swung in the plane of the spring.

2. A corrective exercising apparatus comprising a stationary bracketprovided with a projecting bar one end of which is free, an open-center,clock type, spiral spring having a handle attached to and carried by itsouter end,

3. A corrective exercising apparatus comprising a bracket having a barprojecting therefrom, a handle of hand-width length, a spiral spring ofthe clock spring type connected at its outer end to the handle so thatthe handle is in the plane of and radial to the spring, and means on theinner end of the spring to interlock with the bar when the spring isslipped onto the bar to embrace the same.

4.' A corrective exercising apparatus comprising a provided with a flat,strap-like bar projecting therefrom and free at its outer end, an opencenter spiral spring of the clock spring type having at its inner end aand a handle attached to and supported by the outer end of the spring.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the handle is of thehand Width type and stands radially of the spring.

6. A corrective exercising apparatus comprising a bracket having a basesection to be secured to a stationary corrective exercising devicecomprising a spiral the clock spring type having an open center, a

9. A device as set forth in claim 8, wherein the spring is composed offiat material, flat wound.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

